Improvement in feeding mechanism for sewing-machines



UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. GOWEN, OF STONEHAM, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND CHARLES H. WETHERELL, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN FEEDING MECHANISM FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 102,808, dated May 10, 1870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs E. GowEN, of Stoneham, of the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sewing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specification and represented in the accompanying drawings, of \vhich- Figure lis a front end elevation, and Fig. 2 aside view, of those parts of a sewing-machine containing my invention, the nature of which consists in a rotary feeding-ring and its supporter as arranged and combined with a mechanism, substantially as hereinafter explained, for imparting to both an up-and-down movement during each interval of rest or stoppage of rotary motion of the feeding-ring while the machine ma-y he in operation.

The purpose of the invention is to enable the'work or material while being sewed to be turned around as occasion may require, in order to cause the sewing to be donein a curved or irregular, rather than a straight, line.

It is not new to give to a wheel-feeder the up and down motions, as will be perceived by reference to the United States Patents Nos. 18,880 and 64,184, such being for the purpose hereinbefore mentioned. 'Therefore I do not claim such, my invention having reference to ring-feeders and their supporters; and I have combined and arranged therewith, in manner as hereinafter described, a mechanism for imparting to them up and down motions, as and for the purpose as above set forth.

If a feeding-wheel or a feeding-ring has only an intermittent rotary motion while in use, the sewing cannot well be performed in other than a straight line, as anyattempt to vary by turning the material would cause such materialto pucker or gather. Therefore it is very de sirable to have the feeding-ring possess the advantage of vertical motions such as have been given to the wheel-feed and are described in the aforesaid patents.

In the drawings, A denotes a ring-feeder with its supporter B, the latter being fastened to a bracket, C, extended down from the bed-4 plate D of the sewing-machine.

In carrying out my invention I tix the supporter to the bracket by a clampscrew, a, going through a slot, b, (made verticallyiu the supporter,) and being screwed into the bracket.

Fig. 3 is a front view of the supporter with the slot b as arranged in it.

The shuttle-race trough is shown at E, and the shuttle-driver applied to such trough is exhibited at F. There is pivoted to the shuttlerace trough at or near its inner end a curved bar or cammed lever, G, which, formed with a iiexure or cam, as shown at h, extends along underneath the shuttle-race trou gh and through an opening, o, made in the feedersupporter. A projection, d, from such supporter rests 011 theupper surface of Vthis bar, and the bar is sustained on a roller, e, carried by an arm, j, projecting from the shuttle-driver, which is so applied to the shuttle-race trough as to be capable of being moved back and forth longitudinally thereof by a connecting-rod, g. During each advance of the shuttle-driver the lever G, while the roller is passing the cam 7L, will fall a little and allow the feeder and its supporter to drop downward, which they will be caused to do by their weight. During the counter movement of the shuttledriver the roller, by its action against the cam h, will raise the feeder and its supporter up to their normal positions. When necessary a spring or other proper device may be applied to the feeder-supporter to force it downward in case the weight of the supporter and feeder' may not suffice to effect such.

The needle is shown at H and the presser at I as arranged in the ordinary manner with reference to the feeder. The mechanism for imparting to the feeder an intermittent rotary motion is represented in part at K, it being such as is Well known and in common use. The vertical movements of the feeder and its supporter should take place during each period of cessation of rotary motion of the feeder.

By setting up the clamp-screw a the feedersupporter may be so clamped to the bracket C as to be immovable and prevent the feeder from moving either up or down during the movements of the shuttle-driver.

I (daim- (provided with the cam h,) and the :roller 0, oar- The feeding-ring A and its supporter B, ried by the arm f, projecting from the shuttlearranged and combined with mechanism, subdriver.

sbantiaily as described, for imparting to both JAMES E. GOWEN. vertical movementss explained, during each Witnesses: period of stoppage of the rotary motion of R. H. EDDY,

the ring', such mechanism being the lever Gr, J. R. SNOW. 

